Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2010-11: Zachary Fucale played for the Saint-Eustache Vikings midget AAA team in Quebec. He appeared in 28 regular season games and was 15-5 with a 3.09 goals against and .901 save percentage. In the playoffs he was 7-1, handing the Telus Cup-bound Lac Saint-Louis Lions their first playoff loss, and had a 3.61 goals against and .901 save percentage in 10 games. Fucale was selected by Halifax in the first round (11th overall) of the 2011 QMJHL Entry Draft.

2011-12: Fucale appeared in 58 games for Halifax and was named to the QJMHL’s All-Rookie Team. The Mooseheads were one of the league’s top teams, finishing second in the Maritimes Division and reaching the playoff semifinals. Fucale was 32-18-6 and had 2 shutouts with a 3.16 goals against and .892 save percentage. In 17 playoff games he was 10-7 (with two overtime losses) with a 2.88 goals against and .904 save percentage. Fucale played for Canada Quebec in the 2012 U17 World Hockey Challenge tournament, finishing with a 3.25 goals against and .906 save percentage in five games.

2012-13: Fucale returned to Halifax after winning a gold medal with Canada’s U18 team at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament in August; playing for a Memorial Cup championship-bound Mooseheads team that dominated the league, winning 58 of 68 games. Furcale was 45-7 with 2 shutouts and had a 2.35 goals against and .909 save percentage in 55 games. The Mooseheads rolled through the QMJHL playoffs. Fucale was 16-1 with 3 shutouts in 17 playoff games and had a 2.02 goals against and .918 save percentage. Halifax rebounded from a round-robin loss to Saskatoon in its second Memorial Cup game, defeating London, 9-2, and then skating to a 6-4 win over the Portland Winterhawks in the championship game. Fucale was 3-1 with a 3.52 goals against and .902 save percentage in four games. He and Eric Comrie were the goalies for Canada at the Ivan Hlinka tournament, with Fucale stopping 23 shots in a 4-0 shutout win over Finland in the gold medal game. He was the top-ranked North American goalie in the Central Scouting final rankings and was selected by Montreal in the second round (36th overall) in the 2013 NHL Draft.

2013-14: Fucale signed a three-year entry-level contract with Montreal in September 2013 before returning to Halifax for his third QMJHL season. He skated in 50 regular season games and 15 playoff contests for Halifax and was the starting goalie for Canada at the 2015 World Junior Championship. Fucale was 36-9-3 with 6 shutouts and had a 2.26 goals against and .907 save percentage during the regular season for the Mooseheads. Halifax finished first in the Maritimes Division and reached the QMJHL semifinals for the third straight year, falling 3-2 to Val-d’Or in the seventh game of an epic series. Fucale was 9-4 with a 2.79 goals against and .882 save percentage in 15 playoff games. He was 2-2 with a 2.42 goals against and .901 save percentage in five games for Canada at the WJC. Canada faced Russia in the bronze medal game, falling 2-1 to finish fourth.

2014-15: Fucale returned to Halifax after attending his second training camp with the Canadiens, appearing in 24 games with the Mooseheads before joining Team Canada for the 2015 World Junior Championship. The Memorial Cup host Quebec Remparts acquired Fucale from Halifax in a trade during the WJC and he finished the year with the Remparts after winning a gold medal with Canada. Fucale was 13-9-2 with 2 shutouts and had a 3.20 goals against and .890 save percentage with the Mooseheads. He was 8-8 in 17 regular season games with Quebec, recording 1 shutout and finishing with a 3.22 goals against and .877 save percentage. The Remparts finished second to Rimouski in the East Division and lost to the Oceanic in the QMJHL finals. Furcale was 14-6 in 20 QMJHL playoff games with 1 shutout and had a 2.56 goals against and .913 save percentage. Fucale was 2-3 in five games at the Memorial Cup — including an overtime loss to eventual champion Oshawa — and had a 4.75 goals against and .872 save percentage. He was 5-0 with 2 shutouts for Canada at the WJC and had a 1.20 goals against and .939 save percentage. Canada defeated Russia, 5-4, in the gold medal game.

2015-16: Fucale appeared in 41 games for Montreal AHL affiliate St. John’s in his first pro season — splitting the goaltending duties with veterans Edward Pasquale and Dustin Tokarski. He was 16-18-4 with one shutout and had a 3.11 goals against and .903 save percentage. The IceCaps finished fifth in the North Division, missing the AHL playoffs.

Talent Analysis

Fucale is one of the more promising prospects in the Montreal Canadiens depth chart. He is able to remain calm under pressure, never letting a goal against get to him as he continues to play with confidence. He excels when the workload is increased and he is also vocal with his teammates when need be. His rebound control continues to be a weakness and his glove hand needs some working on. His athleticism and mental toughness are top-notch.

Future

Fucale had an up-and-down season with the AHL's St. John's IceCaps in 2015-16 in his first pro season. A high profile player in Quebec during his major junior hockey career, Fucale was a popular pick when he was taken by the Canadiens in the second round in 2013. He has struggled to match expectations to this point but has shown flashes of the potential that created that enthusiasm.

The North Division name comes over from the American Hockey League’s Western Conference along with three teams from last year’s division – Rochester, Utica and Toronto – in addition to the other three teams from New York state – Albany, Binghamton and Syracuse. The St. John’s IceCaps, who have switched their affiliation from Winnipeg to Montreal, also make up this seven-team division that has several pre-existing rivalries due to the close proximity of most of the teams. Read more»

Photo: Montreal Canadiens goaltending prospect Zachary Fucale closed out his junior career playing for the Quebec Remparts at the 2015 Memorial Cup Tournament (courtesy of Mathieu Belanger/Getty Images)

Photo: Nikita Scherbak put some muscle on during the offseason, walking into development camp at 200 pounds early in July. (Courtesy of Marissa Baecker/Getty Images)

The Montreal Canadiens have had a busy off-season. Starting with the draft, the management team added some depth to their prospect pool by selecting skilled, character and two-way centermen, while beefing up their need on the blue line. General Manager Marc Bergevin was hard at work with a few free-agent signings, adding Joel Hanley, Bud Holloway, Ryan Johnston and Mark Barberio, improving the farm teams considerably. Read more»

Photo: Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher took his game to another level in 2014-15, scoring 24 goals and 47 points in 82 games (courtesy of Minas Panagiotakis/Icon Sportswire)

The Montreal Canadiens traded away several positions in the 2010 draft. Of the five players selected, only Brendan Gallagher has managed to stick in the NHL. At this point, the draft class has to be considered a disappointment. Read more»

Photo: Quebec Remparts goaltender and Montreal Canadiens prospect Zach Fucale was the starter in 5 of 7 games for the gold medal-winning Team Canada squad at the 2015 World Junior Championship (courtesy of Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

There are just six NHL-drafted goaltenders playing in the QMJHL this season, a relatively low number for the league once known for producing some of the top goaltenders in the NHL. At most, there is three netminders with some combination of pedigree and talent, while the others are unlikely to advance far in pro hockey. Read more»